A Michigan man was charged with federal hate crimes after he allegedly threatened Black Lives Matter supporters by leaving handwritten notes and nooses around his community, NPR reports.
The Department of Justice said that Kenneth Pilon has been charged with "six counts of interfering with federally protected activities for incidents dating back to June and July 2020” during the nationwide protest after the murder of George Floyd.
According to the report, Pilon allegedly called at least nine Starbucks stores across Michigan, telling the employeesthat "the only good n***er is a dead n***er," in reference to those that donned Black Lives Matter T-shirts. He's also accused of telling one of the employees, "I'm gonna go out and lynch me a n*****."
Additionally, Pilon allegedly left four nooses in several parking lots across Saginaw, Michigan, with notes attached that read, "An accessory to be worn with your 'BLM' T-shirt. Happy protesting!" Law enforcement said that the fifth noose was discovered inside a 7-Eleven in a beverage cooler.
"Specifically, Pilon intimidated and attempted to intimidate citizens from participating lawfully in speech and peaceful assembly opposing the denial of Black people's right to enjoy police protection and services free from brutality," the complaint said.
The FBI is currently investigating the case and the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division is prosecuting the case.
